U.S. farmers are facing one of the widest gaps in a decade between what they pay to produce food and what they earn from selling it. New USDA data released on Dec. 15 show that by October 2025, the prices paid index had climbed to 154.6, while the prices received index had fallen to 120.5. […]
Author Archives: Lauren Cross, Investigate Midwest
Lauren Cross is the assistant editor/audience engagement manager at Investigate Midwest. Her role involves not only editing and managing content but also developing innovative strategies to engage with communities and ensure that vital stories reach those who need them most.
Before joining Investigate Midwest, Lauren spent eight years at Lee Enterprises, where she tackled stories on public policy, environmental issues, and social justice across the Midwest and distinguished herself as a prolific, highly-read reporter driving some of the highest user and page view numbers. She approaches all her work with empathy and sensitivity to the human impacts behind the issues.
Her investigative work on the lead contamination and poisoning crisis in East Chicago, Indiana, earned her top national awards and recognition.
Lauren graduated with a master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield in 2013. Based in downstate Illinois, she balances her career with a love for photography and hiking.
Honors:
2021 | Excellence in News — Midwest Region Team, Lee Enterprises
2018 | Indiana Photo of The Year — Black Lives Matter
1st Place — Hoosier State Press Association
2017 | 1st Place — Investigative Reporting — National Society of Professional Journalists
2016 | Media Award winner from the State Interagency Committee on Employees with Disabilities
2016 | 2nd Place — “When Heroin Hits Home” — Illinois Press Association
Professional memberships:
National Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists
